Jack dyes his hair to raise £771 for therapy centre

Jack Stewart (18) has made his own special contribution to the £100,000 appeal for a new therapy centre at Camphill School Aberdeen, where he is in his final year.

So far Jack, who is autistic, has raised £771.64 by dying his hair for the fund-raising effort – well ahead of his target of £509.

Jack describes his new look as a “mahogany colour that’s maroon” and explains why he decided to change his appearance for the fundraising effort:“I’ve been a Camphill School Aberdeen for nearly 11 years and I wanted to try and help people and make them happy, by having a very nice new therapy building. The therapies I have had at the school have helped me a lot and I would like to give something back.”

The new £305,000 therapy centre is to be built at the Camphill campus of Camphill School Aberdeen on Milltimber Brae in Aberdeen. It was here, almost 70 years ago, that the very first Camphill community opened its doors in June 1940.

Now, from Aberdeen, the Camphill Movement has extended to more than 100 centres in 23 countries worldwide. In the Aberdeen area more than 700 people live and work in Camphill Aberdeen City and Shire communities.

At the moment therapies are provided in the shared facilities of the school. The new centre will have five specialised rooms for massage, play, oil bath, art and counselling, speech and drama. As well as providing therapeutic support for the school, Camphill School Aberdeen plans to open the new centre to support individuals in the wider local community.

The total project cost for the new therapy centre is £305,000. The appeal is seeking to raise £100,000 with the balance coming from the school’s holding company, Camphill Rudolf Steiner Estates Ltd, a registered charity.

Camphill School Aberdeen holds Autism Accreditation in recognition of the standards it provides for children with autistic spectrum disorders. It has also been recognised in the most recent HMIE/Care Commission report for providing ‘sector-leading’ standards in integrated education, care and support for children with special needs.